Final Musings
by Seraph Reaver
Summary: As Raziel hunts down his brothers, one takes time to reflect on events while he waits. Character is unnamed, but the writting should give it away.


Raziel. I had come to hate that name. But it seemed almost normal for us all to pick up and feel as Kain did on any given situation or topic. But at the same time, I feared what may happen to me if I inadvertently did the same as he had and evolved before our Lord and Master. The fear ebbed when my brothers had similar evolutions and Kain did not damn them to the Lake of the Dead. I suppose it was the wings that did it and not the fact he gained a gift before Kain.  
  
Could it have been that Kain was jealous of the beautifully fragile membranes? Did he see it as a threat to his rule, that Raziel might claim the skies; one thing that was beyond Kain's reach? Keeping that in mind, I had more than enough reason to be afraid when my evolution brought myself and my brood immunity to another obstacle. Yet, Kain was impassive to it. He gave it not a second thought. I figured it best not to dwell on the thought. If I let myself become consumed with my fears, Kain would take it as a weakness and orchestrate my own execution.  
  
Why were my thoughts dwelling on this subject after so long? Oh yes, Raziel was back from the Abyss of Souls. I had felt he had already claimed the souls of my two younger siblings. I could still feel Melchiah and Zephon a bit; albeit that they felt weak and distorted. Most like the result of being absorbed by the newly crowned Reaver of Souls. Would they continue to fade as he further absorbed them? Did he gain memories as well, feelings and share their consciousness? The thought was unsettling, all the more reason for me not to allow the same of myself. He had claimed the souls of countless vampires already; ones from all clans. They had degraded so much, our vampiric gift must not have been strong enough to help maintain coherent thought. Oddly, I failed to find the same amount of concern over the underlings he had consumed. They were too feral for much of anything, mindless beasts like that the humans kept for their feeding. It saddened me greatly to watch the degeneration of my own clan. We grew powerful in one aspect, but over time all my children lost the ability to feel pride in a weakness overcome.  
  
Had my own mind been able to get past the degeneration because of my direct ties to Lord Kain? But in that thought, the offspring which came directly from my own efforts should have retained some shred of intelligence. Yet, they did not. I must not let my mind get hung up on such things, not since Kain had just been here and warned me of my older brother's quest. I would not go without a fight, despite having been trapped in this chamber for as long as I can remember.  
  
It was my own doing, wishing to have a place I could call my own without the disturbance of outside forces; even that of my children. I rather liked my solitude, well, I used to. Then it became a curse when I lost the ability to leave his chamber. I had to be waited upon, all my needs brought to me. At first I loathed it, then got used to it as I realized that though I had cut myself off from mingling freely with my children, they remained loyal to me. Bringing me that which I needed without question. Then their minds left them, I would be neglected often. What could I do? They would listen, but lacking the proper ability to fully understand me; things never turned out how I wished. Who could I blame but myself? I had grown too comfortable in the arrangement and it paralyzed me in return. Such a foolish action, but having conquered the humans and breaking their spirit; there wasn't too much else to do that would quench my thirst for feeling superior in some way. I hadn't always been that way, I do not remember when the need first surfaced. I refused to become like Dumah though, he was so arrogant in his ways it sickened me. Yet, apparently he had rubbed off on me. How nice of him, he would be pleased if I admitted that. But I could not, and would not. Dumah could not venture here to my domain and I could not get to his. The sun was far more unforgiving to my brood and I, night would be the only time for travel. But, still, even then I would not be able to go. I lacked proper means for the long land journey.  
  
My thoughts were snapped back to the here and now suddenly; my years of isolation had made me such a scatter brain. But I could not ignore the presence to my domain. He was close, I could feel him. No doubt he could feel me in return. He had changed, had Kain not told me of this I would have still picked up on it. Such anger filled Raziel's long dead heart. Such determination. Should I be worried? No, he still cannot travel through water. I had some time while he was left to deal with the water and my children. They would not be like what he had encountered previously; the deadly blasts of compressed energy we had learned to spew as if dragons would ensure a new twist for him.  
  
The fire of revenge burned brightly in his soul. For an instant, I could not help but feel a pang of sorrow for him. It vanished quickly as I remembered he was going to take his revenge out on me as well. My hands had not been the ones that bore him into the Abyss. Melchiah nor Zephon had anything to do with it either. Yet, he still exacted revenge on them as well. Perhaps it was because the three of us stood by idly as Dumah and Turel cast him in at Kain's order. Or perhaps his already black heart had managed to blacken more and he only wished for us to feel what he had. This was so human of him, letting rage and anger rule actions. Vampires were above such things, but Raziel was longer a vampire. Well, Kain had displayed such emotions in the past, but all pertained to when he was used. And then later when Raziel dared to gain a dark gift before Kain himself.  
  
I was brought back to the dark gifts again, my concern over Raziel's presence waving some. All of my brothers had gained different gifts, at first we would gain the same as Kain after he had received one. Then suddenly, Raziel's wings sprouted and we all went in separate directions. Melchiah and his brood became more like zombies, decaying flesh requiring new flesh often as if it was nothing more than an item of clothing. Zephon became insect like, his brood becoming wall climbing spiders. My brood and I were like sharks, stalking the stagnate waters of this Drowned Abby. Dumah, like the warrior he prided himself to be, gained a sort of natural armor. In my opinion, he too had gotten the short end of the stick, not just Melchiah. Turel's clan were based on brute strength and agility; like us they had compressed energy blasts. Heightened hearing completed their advantages. Still, I couldn't help but feel the overwhelming pride that came with a limitation beat. Water; fatal to a vampire. All but myself, even the great Kain was not immune, or was he? In his age it was possible, but if so he certainly did not let onto the conquered weakness.  
  
I had to stay focused, Raziel was dangerously close now. I could hear the anguished cries of my children as he slew them then reaved their souls. Souls with would empower him, make him strong. Was it true, did he posses Kain's Soul Reaver now? That ancient blade had always been the pride of Kain, but if Raziel now possessed it, was Kain's power failing? No, why did I let myself think of that? Now I would have that doubt in my being when I faced Raziel. I could not let it get the better of me. I still had the water to fall back on, a means with which to enact a strategy that might save myself and my older brothers from Raziel's wrath.  
  
The bell above me rang, it had not done so in so many years. Eagerly I swam up to the submerged doors as they swung slowly open in the water. Through the currents I could feel his footfalls on the stairs, then, they suddenly stopped. I knew why too, the gift he had been granted when he was reborn. Above me, he shifted back. He stood defiantly on the pillars in my chamber, this was it. I swam lazily through the water, making sure he saw flashes of my hide before I vanished again. If I failed now, I guess I would find out how Melchiah and Zephon felt. Finally, I revealed myself to him.  
  
He spoke to me of things Kain had already told me, all but the Sarafan part. Did it matter, we were better off this way. Once he was done with annoying prattle we began. In futile tries he used his kinetic energy blasts on me. I would laugh back at his useless efforts, fire my own telekinetic blast and dive under the water. My blasts would harm him, as would the bite I sprung upon him. After repeating this movement for quite some time, he wised up and began to break the glass on the decorative windows. I knew what would happen if the feeble rays of Nosgoth's sun touched all the runes on the pillars; my chamber would be flooded with light and I would be powerless. I stepped up my attacks, and dealt him heavy damage. He vanished suddenly, leaving me anxious. A shatter behind me, he was back and standing on another pillar. So many windows had been damaged, I could hear the howl of the wind outside and the thunder was louder. I attacked again, I had missed and he broke the final window. The ancient skylight opened and poured in the deadly rays. The pain! The agony and torment, try as I might I could not get it off my body. I clawed frantically at my scales and flesh, trying to dig the flames out. I weakened and felt myself slipping. Eventually I was gone, freed for a moment before he drew me in. My consciousness now mixing with so many others, I slipped away. Forgetting who I was, an end finally coming to me. 


End file.
